Bill Name: To authorize and request the President to award the Medal of Honor to Richard D. WintersBill Description: A BILL

To authorize and request the President to award the Medal of Honor to Richard D. Winters, of Hershey, Pennsylvania, for acts of valor on June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France, while an officer in the 101st Airborne Division.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1.
Authorization and request for award of MEDAL OF HONOR to Richard D. Winters for acts of valor on June 6, 1944.

(a) Authorization- The President is authorized and requested to award the Medal of Honor under section 3741 of title 10, United States Code, to Richard D. Winters , of Hershey, Pennsylvania, for the acts of valor described in subsection (b).

(b) Action Described- The acts of valor referred to in subsection (a) are the actions of Richard D. Winters, being conspicuous acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life and beyond the call of duty, on D-Day, June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France, while a lieutenant, executive officer and acting commanding officer of Company E, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, in leading an assault to neutralize four enemy 105-millimeter cannon firing on Utah Beach. This attack is still taught at the military academy at West Point.

Winters was recommended for the Medal of Honor for his actions at Brécourt Manor, but was instead awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the U.S. Army's second highest award for combat valor, due to the unofficial policy of only one Medal of Honor awarded per division. Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Cole was the 101st Airborne Division soldier to receive the Medal of Honor for the Normandy campaign for his actions on 11 June 1944.

Lieutenant Winters' actions on 6 June 1944 were portrayed in the HBO movie "Band of Brothers" in 2001.

(c) Waiver of Time Limitations- The award under subsection (a) may be made without regard to the time limitations specified in section 3744(b) of title 10, United States Code, or any other time limitation with respect to the awarding of certain medals to persons who served in the Army.